Rule Seven
by hopesmom
Summary: AU set at the end of season 5. A different type of Judgement Day
1. Chapter 1

Special agent Anthony Dinozzo walked into the bullpen, on this Saturday morning in May 2008, without his usual swagger and witty remarks. Tim and Ziva were both assembling their gear, neither looking very pleased to be here on their first Saturday off in weeks.

"What took you so long, Dinozzo, the call went out forty-five minutes ago?"

Tony met the eyes of his boss, Special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and inwardly cringed from the heated glare he was receiving from said boss.

"Umm, had some trouble getting my car started boss" Tony lied but Gibbs didn't have to know that. The truth was he had imbibed in too many Martinis at the night club he found himself at the night before.

"Do ya think you can get the truck started Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked while violently tossing Tony the keys to the crime scene truck.

"On it boss" Dinozzo whimpered as he shook the sting from his hand. Tony hurried out of the bullpen mumbling something about Nolan Ryan and angry Marines.

Timothy McGee slowly turned and looking at his boss awaiting further instruction while Ziva David inspected her nails and quietly observed Gibbs surlier than usual manner.

Gibbs turned taking a long drink of his coffee and lifted his brows.

"Well, are you two planning on walking to the crime scene or are you gonna ride with Dinozzo?" Gibbs tore a slip of paper from his notepad and handed it to Ziva.

"Address might be helpful, I will meet you there. It seems our esteemed director wants to ride along on this one"

Ziva pursed her lips and recognized the root of Gibbs bad mood. She glanced down and noted an address in Vienna, Va., not their usual area for crime scenes.

"What is the nature of the crime here Gibbs?" Ziva asked, curious as to what could have gone wrong in such a quaint community as Vienna.

"Murder and kidnapping, one body at the scene. Ducky is on his way in. I have no idea how it involves NCIS but I am counting on the Director to fill me in" Gibbs grumbled as he observed Director Leon Vance exit the lush corner office dressed in an NCIS windbreaker and started his descent down the stairs.

McGee and Ziva shared a knowing look and decided to make their exit and catch up to Tony in the parking lot.

Gibbs had never been especially fond of Leon Vance. The first time he had met Leon was in the San Diego field office just before he had gone to Europe to work black ops. Vance was arrogant and had an air of superiority that never set right with Jethro. Of course if he were honest with himself Gibbs knew part of his annoyance with Vance was because he had successfully replaced the former Director Jenny Shepard.

Shepard, whose green eyes haunted his dreams nearly as often as Shannon and Kelly. Jenny, his former partner and lover, had resigned quietly in December of 2007. There had been rumors of various job offers in the private sector and hints of high positions within the government, but the fact was Jennifer Shepard had essentially dropped out of sight. Gibbs had gone around to her Georgetown home only to find it locked and uninhabited, Noemi wasn't even on the premises.

"Are we ready Agent Gibbs?" Leon asked as he took in Gibbs somewhat melancholy look.

"Waiting on you Director, you gonna tell me why NCIS needs to investigate a civilian kidnapping and murder?"

Leon looked at Gibbs and thought to himself that there would be hell to pay before the day was done.

"In the car Jethro" Vance replied and walked towards the elevator.

Gibbs knew that something was wrong, his gut was churning and Leon had called this morning, himself, interrupting what was looking to be quite a pleasant time in bed with Hollis.

Twenty minutes into the drive to Vienna Gibbs received a call from Tony informing him that the FBI was already on scene and NCIS were not being allowed into the house yet. After he told Dinozzo to sit still and wait for him Gibbs turned to Leon with his usual glare and set jaw.

"What the hell is going on Leon, the FBI won't let my people in. How are we involved in this?" Gibbs was out of patience and Leon knew it.

Vance took a deep breath and proceeded to fill in Gibbs as much as he knew.

"The kidnapping victim is a seven year old boy; his nanny was murdered during the crime. The victim's mother was out, on a date. She returned home around two this morning and found the nanny, dead, in a pool of blood in the kitchen. The child has not been found"

Gibbs listened to Vance reel off the barest facts of the case but he knew there was much more to this judging from the amount of government vehicles lining the driveway of the old yet elegant home. Tobias Fornell was standing in the neighbor's driveway speaking with an older woman who looked as if she were dressed for the golf course. There were FBI agents at every house in the quiet cul-de-sac. A group of kids were hanging around the mailbox of the home across the street. A large black lab was lying underneath the white SUV, the only vehicle that wasn't dark and government issued. Scenes such as this were probably very rare in this neighborhood.

"Again, why are we here Leon?" Gibbs growled as he exited the car and stared at the serene looking front porch, cluttered with toys. He noticed a boy's bike lying on its side in the driveway and then he caught sight of Dinozzo, David, and McGee awaiting instruction. Something about this was off, Gibbs felt sick with dread. He couldn't place the feeling in his gut but it was an unpleasant experience. He suddenly felt the need to escape this place. He wasn't sure if he could go in that house and face a mother who may have possibly lost her child and for some inexplicable reason Leroy Jethro Gibbs was afraid.

"The reason we are here Agent Gibbs is because the house belongs to Jennifer Shepard, your former Director, and the kidnap victim is her son"

If Gibbs was shocked by this news he didn't show it. His face was a blank mask as he stared at Director Vance and then silently followed him up the driveway leading to the front porch. He turned to the team and instructed them to sit still until he told them otherwise. Out of the corner of his eye Gibbs noticed Ducky's van backing up the drive, being guided by local Leo's. Although the surrounding area was crawling with agents he could tell that very few people had been on the porch or inside the house. Someone had done a damn good job at securing the scene. Probably the victims mother Gibbs thought with a grimace.

Leon stopped just inside the foyer and handed Gibbs a pair of booties and latex gloves. The house looked elegant yet comfortable, not unlike the owner's former Georgetown residence. Everywhere you looked there was evidence of a child. Dirty sneakers and a baseball glove were lying in the corner next to the front door. A transformers back pack was thrown to the side of the bottom step of the staircase, and there were pictures. The churning in Gibbs gut grew exponentially as he saw her, in the picture, holding a newborn. It was as if he had gone back in time -long red hair, and bright green eyes full of what he identified as a mothers love. Next to that picture was another showing a little boy with dark hair and his mothers eyes smiling up at what could only be described as Director Shepard, her hair was short and spiky. Jenny had been dressed in cut off shorts and a tank top, obviously not a day at the office.

"Gibbs" Leon was speaking to him but Jethro was too immersed in the pictures on the walls, ones of a little boy in a baseball uniform and another of him in soccer apparel, and some of a baby boy in the arms of his mother, the mother he had once known so well.

"How old did you say the kid is Leon?" The question was asked in a tone unlike the one usually used by Special agent Gibbs at a crime scene.

"He is seven, Agent Gibbs, are you ready to talk to the mother?" Leon asked, obviously trying to remove himself from the personal aspects of the case. The fact that they knew Jenny Shepard was going to make this case personal for all involved, especially Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

Jethro was busy calculating dates; seven years would put the child being born in 2001. Jenny had left him in January of 2000. He shook off the queer sense of disappointment and walked into the living room, ready to get some answers.

Jenny Shepard had been in many situations during her career as a NCIS agent. There had been times when she wasn't sure if she would survive and she had been afraid

She had never before known the type of debilitating fear that gripped her now. She could hear voices all around her as she stood at the window watching the parade of agents canvass the neighborhood. Trey Gunterson and his little brother Troy were standing in their driveway, along with other neighborhood kids, watching the spectacle that had encompassed the cul-de-sac.

Along with fear Jenny was also feeling intense guilt. She had not intended to stay out so late the night before but she had been enjoying having adult time with Cynthia, her former assistant, catching up and doing what single women do on Friday nights. Noemi had agreed to stay the night with LJ so Jenny had felt like it would be ok to relax and enjoy herself for once.. She couldn't have been more wrong because the first thing she saw when she walked through the kitchen door that morning had been Noemi's body lying lifeless on the floor, an at close range gunshot wound to the back of the poor woman's head. Panic had immediately set in; Jenny had run to her son's bedroom recklessly without pulling a weapon from the various different hiding spots around the house. His door was left open and blankets from the bed were thrown haphazardly aside. No precious child sleeping as he normally did, curled into a ball with his beloved dog at his feet. Jenny shook herself from her reverie when she thought of Arthur the dog. He wasn't in the house; he was always in the house at night.

"The dog is missing" Jenny croaked out hoarsely. Her voice ragged from the fear and frustration.

She moved away from the window and started towards the door.

"LJ's dog is not in the house, he should be in" She stopped as the door opened and she came face to face with the man she had been expecting but had not even begun to prepare herself for.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs had seen Jenny Shepard in various different moods and states of duress during the time he had known her but he was not prepared for this. She was obviously still dressed in last nights clothes, a green silk wrap dress with dark stains on the front, probably blood. Her face was pale and her eyes were red and puffy from wiping the tears that hadn't fell yet... The hair, which had grown longer and was back to the natural shade of red, had fallen out of whatever style she had it fixed in and was now framing her face.

"Jethro, the dog, Arthur.-he's not in the house. You have to find the dog. LJ loves that dog" She collapsed just as he reached her, sobbing into his blazer. She was mumbling incoherently about a dog.

"There is a black Lab in the driveway under a white SUV" he said to whoever was listening. He heard Vance shout out the front door to Dinozzo, telling him to find the dog. Leon started clearing the room of the FBI agents that had been allowed inside. Gibbs walked Jenny over to the comfortable looking sofa and sat them both down. She was still sobbing quietly into his chest and he wondered if this was the first time she had let go since the nightmare began.

"Jen, Jenny" he spoke to her in a quiet subdued tone. He gently raised her chin up so he could see her face. The pain in her eyes was something he knew, and would never wish on another person.

"Jenny, are you hurt? Is this your blood?" He asked while pointing to the stains on her dress. She raised her hand and shakily wiped her eyes while trying to catch her breath.

"Noemi" Jenny shuddered when she spoke her name. She had been with the Colonel and then Jenny after his death. Noemi had been the only caregiver LJ had ever known besides herself. A vision of Noemi's body lying in the pool of blood shook her to the core and brought with it the fear that she may never see her son alive again.

"Jenny, I need you to tell me everything you know, starting with when you came home. Did you notice anything out of the ordinary or odd before you came in the house? Were there any strange cars on the street?" Gibbs had decided the best way to do this was to bring the agent out in her. She needed to be Special Agent Shepard right now and help him find her son. Time was not on their side as no one knew exactly how long the boy had been gone.

"Leon, get Ducky in here we need a TOD" Agent Gibbs was in charge now, he had to put Jethro aside and find the boy, the boy she called LJ.

Jenny proceeded to tell Gibbs about finding Noemi dead and then finding LJ gone. She had immediately called the local police and then Leon. She had also tried to call the boys father, but had not gotten an answer. Apparently agents from NCIS L.A. were trying to locate him now as he apparently lived in L.A.

The mention of a father twisted Gibbs gut even more. He had never liked thinking of Jenny with other men and now faced with the fact that there had been someone else, someone she would have a child with hurt him more than he would ever admit-even to himself.

The foyer was now swarming with not only NCIS, but also Tobias Fornell and a few of his agents. Ducky had been shown to the kitchen and Ziva was kneeling in front of the dog swabbing what appeared to be blood from his paws. Jenny had walked out behind him and everyone stopped to stare, Gibbs glared menacingly and work resumed.

"Local police issued a missing persons report on the boy earlier this morning Gibbs" Vance spoke as he hung up his phone and eyed Jenny warily and wondered how much she had told Gibbs when he questioned her.

"We need some DNA, just in case" Leon stopped as Jenny's eyes widened and she raised her hand to her mouth shakily. She knew the procedure, just in case positive identification was needed on a body, DNA would be helpful.

"Toothbrush" was all she said as she turned and started up the stairs well aware of Gibbs presence behind her. He followed her down the hall and was shocked yet impressed by how homey her house was. There were more pictures lining the hallway, some formal some not. An open door at the end of the hall led to a room, a little boy's personal haven full of toys and drawings-and a Childs imagination-not unlike Kelly's room had been. Tony and McGee were inside taking photos, dusting for prints and generally looking for clues.

"Oh hey Boss" Dinozzo greeted as he lowered the camera from his face. "Director erm Jenny" Tony stumbled on his words, not sure how to navigate this situation and still somewhat shocked to discover his former director had a child she had apparently kept a secret from everyone.

"Hello Tony" She gave him a wan smile and nodded her head at McGee in greeting as she passed into the adjoining bathroom.

"Boss, we have blood drops over here" Tony directed Gibbs attention to the floor next to the bed. The covers were strewn over the foot of the bed and into the floor. It was not a lot of blood, but any blood this far from the dead body downstairs was a flashing warning that time was of the essence and the clock was ticking.

Jenny stepped out of the bathroom and her eyes were drawn to Gibbs kneeling on the floor examining the blood stains. She gasped as she realized that she hadn't noticed them earlier when she found her son missing. The knuckles on her hand were turning white as Jenny grasped the toothbrush tightly, trying to hold on, trying to not break down again.

"McGee, get a sample to take back to Abby" He directed the younger agent as he noticed Jenny standing in the doorway of the bathroom mesmerized by the blood on the floor. Tony reached out with an evidence bag and took the toothbrush from Jenny, sealing and labeling it after it was secured.

"DNA boss?" Dinozzo asked as he put the evidence bag with the toothbrush, along with the swabs McGee had done, in his kit. As Abby would say there was definitely something "hinky" about this whole situation. Tony had already been in the kitchen and seen the Latina house keeper's body that was an execution if he had ever seen one. Jenny Shepard wasn't your typical suburban, soccer mom; she had been a lot of places and met a lot of important people as well as some very dangerous people. This whole situation made Tony uneasy and afraid for the missing child.

McGee had been on his phone alerting Abby of the situation. She had suggested that as a former Naval dependent the boy would have records on file she could access and go ahead and get dental records and everything else, just in case.

"Ma'm" Tim had no idea how to approach this woman and decided the best way was to treat her like every other parent of a missing child.

"Ma'am, we need some info about your son. Abby thought you might have had him listed as a dependent and we could get a head start on accessing his info"

Jenny looked at Timothy McGee and was honestly quite surprised that he had been the first one to ask the important question, they needed a name and birth date. She glanced at Jethro who was still looking at her with a curious mix of concern and confusion. He hadn't figured it out yet but he was about to.

"His name is Lucas Jasper Shepard and he was born on September 10, 2000 in Rota, Spain." Jenny let out a shaky breath all the while watching Gibbs process the information, his brows furrowed and she could see him calculating it in his head. Just as his eyes widened and she saw the hint of understanding on his face Leon Vance walked in looking agitated and concerned

"William Decker was discovered dead in his pool by the agents from the L.A. field office a little while ago"

Jenny gasped and closed her eyes tightly, it was happening, her failure was coming back to bite her and it would likely cost her more than she was ever willing to give up.

"What the hell Leon?" Gibbs barked. Jenny didn't need to hear about this now. "This couldn't have waited until later Director?" His blue eyes smoldering with anger and confusion and concern, more emotion than he could withstand right now.

"It could be tied to the case Gibbs, or don't you think a man found floating in his pool on the same day his son is kidnapped relevant?" Van shot back at Gibbs turning to Jenny.

"You didn't tell him?" He asked as he arched a brow sticking a damn toothpick between his teeth. Jenny looked at Gibbs and saw all the questions playing out in his expression. It was time to come clean and she hoped to God it wasn't too late.

"William Decker and I were married in the summer of 2000, he is LJ's dad" There, she said it in many ways the truth but in so many other ways a lie.


	2. Chapter 2

Special Agent Dinozzo was almost certain his boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs was going to suffer from a fractured jaw from the way he kept gnashing his teeth together. Gibbs was still standing in LJ's bedroom holding a child size NCIS cap in his hand. Tony couldn't say exactly what his boss was fuming over at the moment but he didn't want to be in the room when it all bubbled to the surface.

"Boss" Tony hesitated as Gibbs turned and met his eyes. Oh yea, Tony swore he could see the fires of Hell burning in those blue eyes.

"Boss, Ducky is ready to take the body and the Director, umm Director Vance wants to take umm Jenny back to headquarters" Dinozzo was certain that this was very personal for Gibbs and for Jenny. The look on her face as she told Gibbs that this Decker person was her husband and the boy's father was raw.

Every square inch of the house and yard was searched. Every surface dusted for prints and every neighbor was interviewed. There was no sign of LJ Shepard or Decker or whatever his real name was. There were over fifty agents and police officers as well as tracking dogs in the adjacent wooded areas. Ducky had determined time of death to be around one in the morning, nearly eleven hours had passed. Time was running out for this case to have a happy ending.

Gibbs walked out of the bedroom and back downstairs into the foyer, David and McGee were standing awaiting his orders. The dog was lying in the doorway as if he were waiting for his master to come home and play. Jethro turned as he heard a noise on the stairs and watched Jenny Shepard descend with about as much poise and strength as she could muster at the moment. She had changed into jeans, a white tee shirt and dark blue cardigan. Yesterday's make-up was removed and she had brushed out her hair and put it up in a pony tail. The most surprising part of her appearance were the white sneakers on her feet, it had been many years since he saw Jenny in sneakers.

"McGee get the dog on a leash and take him back to headquarters. Ziva, get in touch with Callen in L.A. and get everything he has on William Decker's death. Tony, make sure there are agents guarding this house at all times" Gibbs glanced at Leon and wordlessly conveyed his message to him.

"Agent Fornell won't mind me riding back with him I am sure" Vance said as he headed for the door. Jenny had watched this entire scene take place knowing that Gibbs was simply going to get her in the confined space of his car before the real questioning began.

He reached out and lightly took her arm and propelled her towards the door. Electricity seemed to flow through his fingertips into her skin as he touched her. Jenny recognized the tension that lurked within him, coiled like a snake ready to strike. She also recognized that she didn't care about Jethro's feelings right now, the only thing that was of importance to her at the moment was finding her son.

The sun seemed too warm and bright to Jenny, she didn't need the heat she wanted to be cold; numb to the feelings of grief and fear that had taken root within her. She walked to the car in a haze, not caring that everyone in the vicinity was staring at her. Jethro was gentler with her than she deserved as he opened the door and helped her into his car. He strode around and climbed into the driver side and went about engaging his seatbelt and cranking the car before he said anything. It was a long tense moment before he turned to her again and spoke.

"Everything, from the beginning and don't leave anything out" he growled out the words through clenched teeth and Jenny wasn't sure which thing he was angrier at her for: having a baby eight months after she left him in Paris, not telling him about the baby even while she was Director and saw him everyday, or marrying William Decker. These were just the things he knew to be angry with her about; he didn't know the whole story.

The ride back to NCIS had been quiet; Jenny didn't know how to answer his questions and Jethro didn't want to push her too far. He had stopped at a coffee shop not far from the Navy Yard and picked them each up a cup of coffee. Jenny was sipping her coffee pensively when she realized they were now in the garage at headquarters. She turned and noticed Jethro staring at her intently, waiting for answers.

"I didn't know I was pregnant when I left" she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to steady her nerves enough to get through this.

"I tried to ignore the signs I think, Will knew before I did" She laughed at the memory of William Decker showing up at her hotel room with a bag full of pregnancy tests. The memory of her affectionate feelings for Decker along with the current knowledge that she would never see him again brought the dreaded tears to her eyes.

"I was terrified, I didn't know how to be a mother-I didn't even know if I wanted a child"

The tears were rolling down her face now in a steady stream. Gibbs wanted to spare her this pain but she had the answers, possibly even the answers on who might have taken LJ.

"How long had you and Decker been" He couldn't finish the question, wasn't even sure he wanted to know. He was sure Jenny had loved him in Paris, the last thing he ever expected was to find out she had cheated on him.

Jenny looked at him questioningly. What did he mean- did he seriously thing, no!

"No, oh God no, Jethro!" Her eyes flashed and her nose flared. Did he really think she had been with Will at the same time?

"You hard-headed, narrow-minded bastard! How dare you!" She screamed out at him in shock and rage. Jenny couldn't believe he thought that little of her. But then she remembered saying that William Decker was LJ's dad.

Jethro watched with interest as the emotions flashed across her face. Shock, hurt, anger and then realization and she turned her head and looked him in the eyes, was she asking for understanding He was shocked when Jenny reached out and cupped his cheek, twisting around fully in the car seat.

"Oh you stupid, stupid man" she mumbled. Her face was so close to him now he could feel her hot breath on his face.

"There was never anyone else Jethro, LJ was conceived in Paris. If I had to pick a time I would venture to say it was our last full day there. We never left the bedroom that day, remember?"

Jenny's voice had taken on a husky tone and her eyes were brighter than they had been since he first saw her this morning. Gibbs closed his eyes and let himself remember that time for just a moment. The heat from her small hands caressing his face felt so good and right. He remembered every single moment they had spent together in Paris. Sometimes when life got too tough and he didn't want to remember the pain and sadness associated with Shannon and Kelly he would think of Jenny. His Jenny.

He reached up and covered her hands with his. Breathing out slowly but deeply before he spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me Jen? Didn't you think I had a right to know I was a father again?" The pain in his voice was evident; Jenny shifted and looked away from him. She moved her hands onto her lap, fists clenched tightly.

"I never knew Jethro, I didn't know about your family back then and when I did find out you left on your Margarita Safari. LJ has grown up thinking of Will as his dad, William loves-he loved LJ" Jenny looked at the clock and realized another hour had passed with no word of her beloved baby boy.

There are a lot of things you need to know Gibbs, but right now we need to find our boy and I have some idea who may have him" Jenny opened the door and exited the car leaving Gibbs with almost as many answers as before, except one-he was a father again and come hell or high water he was not going to bury another child.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Gibbs caught up with Jenny she was already in the bullpen leaning over McGee directing a search it appeared. She raised her head and looked at him and in her eyes he saw a trepidation he had only seen once before; Paris, the night before they were to execute the Russians. It was at that moment his attention was drawn to the plasma screen behind McGee. Video footage from the surveillance cameras at Jenny's house was playing. Everyone watched quietly as a silver van pulled into the driveway and three men exited quickly, a blonde woman stepped out of the van last.

Gibbs eyes narrowed, not able to get a clear picture of the woman in the darkness. Something in his gut twisted as she turned fully towards the camera and the shock hit him like a blow to the chest, Svetlana Chernetskaya.

"What the hell!" Jethro roared as he moved closer to the screen, at that moment the men from the van came back into the shot and there also was his son, LJ, struggling with one of the guys. Gibbs fists were clenched tightly at his sides as he watched the man roughly toss LJ into the back of the van as everyone else got in and slammed the doors. The silver Ford work van then backed out of the driveway and was out of sight, no tag number could be seen.

"McGee, run facial recognition on all of the persons in that video" Gibbs spoke through clenched teeth while glaring at Jenny who had a haunted look in her eyes.

"I know who she is Jethro, so do you" she said with her voice cracking.

"Svetlana Chernetskaya, McGee" Jenny directed as she turned to face Gibbs fully.

Jenny walked over to Gibbs desk and started accessing files on his computer

"Dinozzo, what did you find out about William Decker?" Gibbs barked as he walked closer to his desk to look at what Jenny was doing.

"Preliminary reports are a heart attack boss, the ME in Los Angeles has not finished with the body yet" Tony hesitated a moment and glanced at Ziva for support before he divulged the rest of his information.

"Umm, we did a check on Decker boss" Tony then sent info to the plasma behind Gibbs desk and a picture of William Decker appear.

"The usual, you probably know a lot of this. He was born in 1963 in Chicago, went to college at Notre Dame on a football scholarship. Joined NCIS in 1993. A lot of his personnel file is redacted, super spy stuff huh boss?" Tony quipped and judging from the twin glares he was getting from Shepard and Gibbs, neither were impressed.

"OK, moving on" Tony said in a more professional manner.

"He was made SAC in San Diego in early 2001 after a short stint in Rota, Spain. He remained fairly low key in that position until he took an early retirement at age 44 last year. Personally speaking he was married once to Jennifer Shepard in June 2000 and had one son Lucas Jasper Shepard born in September 2000. We don't have his bank records yet boss, Ziva is working on it." Tony finished up and settled back behind his desk, Gibbs was glaring furiously at the picture of the dead man and Jenny was sitting quietly with her head tilted down

"You don't have to look at his bank records" Jenny offered.

"Will was honorable and clean, he won the lottery and retired on that. "

Her voice sounded hollow as she spoke, too much loss in a short period of time. The horror of knowing Svetlana had her son was ripping her apart. She caught sight of Jethro staring at her with what she could only describe as pain and disappointment and then she cracked. Every ounce of fear and tension in her body manifested itself into a burning rage as she stood and with one swooped swiped everything off of Jethros desk as she screamed.

"Yes, I fucked up! I fucked up! I let her go and now she has my son, she has my baby!" Her voice broke as the first sobs broke through and suddenly she couldn't breathe, she had to escape, escape those blue eyes and escape everyone looking at her and escape this nightmare she was in.

Jenny ran around the desk and headed for the elevator before Jethro realized what was happening. She started for the elevators but changed course and went towards the ladies bathroom instead. She sank down onto the floor of one of the stalls with her head leaning against the metal partition and let the sobs come, she cried as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest and in a way it had been.

Gibbs watched her go into the restroom and decided to leave her alone for a few minutes and get herself together. All of his agents were staring at him, wide eyed and mouths gaping. He smiled at the knowledge that Dinozzo and McGee had only known Director Shepard the calm, authoritative person in charge. Ziva had known Jenny better, but obviously not that well if she didn't know she had a child or did she? Jethro tilted his head and glared at Ziva and she avoided his eyes, she knew also. But how much did she know?

"Boss" McGee interrupted his thoughts as he furiously typed away at the keyboard...

"Boss, I think I have something. I ran facial recognition on all four suspects and the driver came back as Igor Radinsky, he rented a van from Enterprise car rental at Dulles yesterday. I have the plate numbers from the van and am issuing a BOLO now."

"Good work McGee" Jethro started out of the bullpen heading towards the ladies room when he stopped and turned around.

"Ziva, you keep working on Decker's bank records and Dinozzo, go down to Abby's and have her run the DNA from LJ's toothbrush against all NCIS agents past and present."

Gibbs turned and heading out thinking he was tired of Jenny's vague answers and half truths, he was going to get to the bottom of this and find the boy she said was his son.

As Jethro walked into the bathroom he was met with empty space, no Jenny, just silence. Walking back towards the bullpen he saw no sign of her.

"Did Jenny come back here?" he asked, he had a bad feeling she has done something very stupid.

"Haven't seen her boss" Tony answered and then commenced to accessing the security footage from the building and grounds knowing that would be Gibbs next command.

Tony hesitated for a split second before speaking as he watched Gibbs stalk towards him with blue fire burning in his eyes.

"Looks like she left the building about 10 minutes ago and got into a cab at the front gate" Tony said as he subconsciously backed away from his desk a bit.

"Goddamitt, McGee get a trace on her phone. Check all incoming and outgoing calls. She is going to try to fix this herself, with no backup! Stupid, stubborn redhead!" Gibbs growled.

McGee took about two minutes accessing Jenny's call records and GPS location on her phone.

"Boss, she received a call from an unknown number about fifteen minutes ago and two minutes later she called a cab service. Her location right now is Georgetown, her old address"

Before McGee finished speaking Gibbs was at the elevator with Tony and Ziva behind him. Before they got in the lift he yelled out to McGee.

"Keep working on finding that van McGee, you find my boy, I have to go find his mother before she gets herself killed"

Each of the agents reacted differently to his outburst but kept quiet knowing now was not the time.


End file.
